2016 Summer Reading 9th Grade Honors: REQUIRED
Summer Reading Text- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Welcome to the 2016-17 academic year at Alpharetta High School. We are excited to begin our work together,
and we are hopeful and you will come prepared on the first day with your highlighted and annotated book AND
your typed, essay response to the prompt below. If you have questions about this assignment, please contact
Virginia Brown at [email protected] or Marybeth Sibold at [email protected]
Step #1- Engage in Pre reading Activities: Before you read, please do the following:
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Purchase the text- early and begin reading and working as soon as possible.
Read the essay prompt- and the quotation below before you begin reading the text
Read the front and back of the book jacket/ cover- in order to gain a better understanding of both the
author and the book.
Analyze the text structure- does your book have a title page? An introduction? An afterward? An
index? A table of contents? If so, take careful note because these sections may prove to be a helpful
resource for you to use while you are reading.
Step #2- Highlight and Summarize: As you read, please do the following:
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Highlight- any information from the book that relates to and/or helps to answer your essay prompt
(prompt is listed below).
Summarize- the main events of each chapter in bullet point format (3-5 bullet points) on the last page of
each chapter.
Step #3- Reflect on the quotation and the essay prompt:
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Reflect on the PROMPT- How does the government obtain and maintain power over the populous in
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451?
Step #4- Respond to the prompt in a typed 4 paragraph essay (introduction, 2 body paragraphs, and a
concluding paragraph). Please keep the following in mind as you construct your essay:
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Include a thesis statement which directly answers the prompt and helps to guide your body paragraphs
Include evidence from Fahrenheit 451 to support your thesis statement
Use 12pt, Times New Roman font
Include a proper MLA style header at the top left corner of the first page in this order:
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Your Name (first and last)
Teacher’s Name (you may wish to wait until you receive your schedule to include this)
Course Name (Honors English 9)
Date Due (8 August 2016)
Double space the entire paper (from the header down through the works cited page)
Margins should be set at 1 inch on all sides
Include a works cited page with a works cited entry for Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Ensure that your paper is 2-3 pages in length
Strive for fluid sentence structure
Adhere to the rules of formal writing/mature academic language (no 1st or 2nd person pronoun usage/ no
contractions/ no abbreviations/ no vague language/ no idioms or clichés)
Do analyze the GA DOE Rubric (see attached) as you begin constructing your essay. Please use this
rubric as your guide. You may disregard the reference to “counter-claims” in the GA DOE Rubric.
You do not need to include counter-claims in your essay.
MLA Style Information- for more information about MLA style and overall paper construction can be found
here: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
We look forward to meeting you and working with you!! GO RAIDERS!! 